Improved rail way-rail joint



W. JOHNSTON. RAILWAY RAIL JOINT.

N0. 94,607. Patented Sept. 7, 1869.

,Q tetw fitnited 1mm omit,

WILLIAM JOHNSTON, OF HAVELOGK, PENNSYLIVANIA.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J ()HNSTON, of Havelock, in the county ofWashington, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Railroad-Rails and Joints; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact descriptiont-bereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of thisspecification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in connecting the joints ofrailroad-rai1s with a steel cap, in such a manner as to hold said jointssecurely without rattling, present a smooth, continuous surface to thewheels, and prevent flattening of the ends of the rails; also infurnishing a means whereby old rails, the ends of which have becomeflattened, may be used again, by slightly altering them.

To enable those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains tomake and use the same, I will proceed to describe its construction andoperation.

In the drawings- A A represent two ordinary railroad-rails, and

B, a steel cap, the outside of which corresponds with the form of therails.

The ends of the rails have tongues a formed on them, by cutting away aportion of the top, and the Letters Patent No. 94,607, dated September7-, 1869. v

IMPROVED RAILWAY-RAIL JOINT.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thesame.

cap B is formed with a groove, 1), which fits said tongues when the endsof the rails are together.

The cap B is secured to the rails bybolts epassing transversely throughthem and held by nuts.

The cap and rails are secured to the ties by spikes (l passing throughtheir flanges and into the ties.

The holes in the rails through which the bolts and spikes pass, areelongated, so as to allow for expansion and contraction of the rails.

\Vhen the ends of the rails are placed together and the cap secured inplace, the joints are held securely, and present a, smooth, continuoussurface to the wheels.

'When old rails have become flattened at the ends, by constant use, theymay be cut away at the ends, so as to form tongues, as shown at a, andmay be used in connection with the caps B.

Having thus described in invention,

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The steel cap B, in combination with the rails A A, when constructed andarranged as herein shown and described.

WM. JOHNSTON.

Witnesses:

DANL. Horrmns, WILLIAM S. Ross.

